The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday described as “heinous killing” the death of 15 migrants whose bodies were found near the Mediterranean coastal city of Sabratha.
According to reports from the UN and the Libyan Red Crescent, the bodies were found on a beach on Friday morning as most of them burned inside a charred boat.
The world governing body condemned the killing, accused people’s smugglers and demanded justice for the victims as it also called for an investigation.
“While the exact circumstances remain to be determined, the killings reportedly resulted from clashes between rival traffickers,” the UNSMIL said in a statement.
UNSMIL said the latest killings are “a stark reminder of the lack of protection migrants and asylum seekers face in Libya, and the widespread human rights violations undertaken by powerful trafficking and criminal networks who need to be swiftly stopped and prosecuted.”
